Meeting of Mist
by strangertrack
Summary: 1 - Fran witnesses the last moment between Bel and Mammon. 2 - Fran is the new mist and Bel is irked. 3 - Fran is witness to the keeping of a promise.
1. Meeting of Mist

I don't know why I keep writing backstories that'll soon be proven wrong. But I wanted to explore some link between the two Varia mists.

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**Meeting of Mist**

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"Go up to the fourth floor, turn left, then right, fifth door on the left," Fran recited to himself as he trudged up the stairs, mission report in hand. He had once again been bullied into running the errands for his squad.

He paused at the landing, tensing at the sound of a door slamming in the distance. Open or shut, he wasn't certain, but the anger behind it was unmistakable. Voices followed, unintelligible at first, but getting clearer as they approached his direction.

"You can't just leave. Varia is for life. You'd better die if you want to escape."

The second voice was softer, tempered with calm and still impossible to make out.

Fran took a cautious peek, curiosity overcoming common sense. The blond prince and the tiny magician were rounding the corner.

As far as Fran could tell, the two were on good terms and pretty much inseparable. They were always together, Belphegor, the demon who seduces by suggesting inventions that will make his prey rich, and Mammon, the false god of riches and avarice.

He now had to revise his understanding of their relationship. Belphegor was staring down at Mammon with contempt, looking for all the world like he wanted to punt him.

"So you're looking for the easy way out, just because your body is weakening?" he sneered as they came to a stop. "I didn't realize you were such a coward."

"I'm not looking to die, Bel," Mammon corrected, sounding tired and old. "If I wanted to do that, I'd stay here and do nothing."

"You hate the other Arcobaleno. You said it yourself."

"Which proves how serious this situation is," Mammon sighed. "Face it, Bel. The future is bleak."

"You're still better off with the Varia."

"You're an assassin. You know how to decimate, not how to protect."

Belphegor swooped down to pick up Mammon, squeezing him tightly enough for the magician to wince.

"Oh, so it's 'you' now, instead of 'we'?" Belphegor asked silkily, voice low and dangerous as he gave a little shake. "Don't be so cold, aren't we still teammates?"

"I didn't mean the Varia. I meant _you_," Mammon gasped out in pain. "Bel, you can't save me."

Belphegor's smile froze and he slackened his hold.

"The prince always slays the dragon and frees the princess from her curse," he insisted.

"The only happily-ever-after is one you seize yourself," Mammon countered.

"Just like Mammon, selfishly taking the hero role for himself."

Belphegor stared solemnly at Mammon, as if committing each individual feature to memory to create an mental collage. Mammon endured with practiced patience, resting weary hands over Belphegor's wrapped around him.

Finally, Belphegor grinned, all sharp teeth and no amusement despite his laughter. "Shishishi. Go ahead and kill yourself, you ungrateful brat. I'll laugh at the news and come dance on your grave~"

He knelt down on one knee and gently set Mammon down, gave the Arcobaleno's hood one last firm pat, then disappeared back from where he came.

"Mu."

Fran felt strangely guilty, having intruded on such an intimate moment between the two core Varia members. But he continued to watch as Mammon ripped the Varia patch from his coat and let it flutter to the floor.

Mammon didn't give him a second look as he pitter-pattered by, and Fran breathed a sigh of relief and unstuck himself from the wall.

"You emit the mist flame, correct?"

Fran pointed to himself, although the other still had his back to him. "M-me?" he stammered, surprised at being addressed so directly.

"Do you know what the role of the mist guardian is?"

Fran shook his head, realized that Mammon didn't have eyes on the back of his head, and vocalized his "no, sir."

"Pretending that something exists when it doesn't. Confuse the enemy and don't allow them to capture the true form of the family."

There was a clink and a flick, and a flash of metal sailed toward Fran. Fran caught it reflexively, looked down at his hand, and unclenched his fist. Lying in his palm was a ring, emblazoned with three digits: 999. Oh, wait. Maybe it was 666.

"What-?"

The baby was gone, replaced by a dark, hooded man who glided down the stairs. An illusion? But no. The figure _felt_ real. Fran blinked and rubbed his eyes, took another look.

The small magician scaled down the stairs with nimble hops, his baby voice echoing and filling the staircase with surety of prophesy.

"They'll think our numbers down, but the Varia will have you in reserve."

Fran watched the mysterious creature disappear from sight as he absently pocketed the ring. His head felt foggy, as if he had just woken from a dream.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, as he remembered the report he still held in his other hand. He was now late, and Commander Squalo would not be pleased.

"What was it again? Left, then right, fifth door on the right?"

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**The End.**

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December 21, 2008


	2. Storm Warning

The story felt unfinished so here we go again. This one's for the Fran fans.

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**Storm Warning**

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"Mammon is dead. You're in, Fran," Commander Squalo said without ceremony. Fran stood stone-faced at attention under the core Varia's scrutiny.

Levi-san, the perverted old man, was looking at him with a funny blush on his face. (Gross.) Lussuria-okama was smiling brightly as he waved him to come over, holding out something tight and leather. (Scary.) Bel-senpai was standing off to the side, scowling in fierce protest. (Mean.)

And Xanxus-san, their high, exalted leader... he wasn't even there.

"I refuse to accept him. He isn't qualified," Bel spoke up.

"Shut it, Bel. It's not your decision to make."

"Don't let the Commander title get to your head, _Squalo_. You're not the boss of me. You're not the boss of _anyone_. We all only answer to Boss."

"Well, _Xanxus_ put me in charge, so that makes me your boss by proxy. Now stop being a fucking baby so we can get on with our counterattack," Squalo argued back, with a whack to Bel's head.

"Hmph." Bel sniffed with disdain and turned a back to the proceedings. "We did just fine without a cloud. A weak-looking mist like that will only get in our way."

"He's not as weak as he looks. He has a Hell ring." Squalo nodded at Fran.

Fran blinked and nodded back. Squalo slapped a hand to his forehead.

"VOI! Show them your Hell ring. _Moron_."

"Oh." If Fran was embarrassed, his expression didn't show it. He patted his pockets absently and started to search through the inner linings. "It should be here somewhere."

"..." Bel gave Squalo a pointed look, and Squalo retaliated with another violent whack.

"Do that again and be disemboweled," Bel threatened, taking out his knives.

"Ufu~ Bel-chan is grumpy because he misses Mammon~" Lussuria twittered sympathetically, ruffling Bel's hair. "So cute how you're grieving when you used to fight him all the time."

"Mess up my hair and be castrated," Bel switched targets, but his threats were automatic reflex, distracted and lacking the usual passionate bloodlust. Had he been his normal self, he'd already have sliced them both up without courtesy of warning.

"Ah, found it," Fran announced, holding out his ring for the others to see.

Bel was by his side in an instant. "Where did you get that?" he hissed, grabbing Fran's wrist. "That's not yours!"

Fran tried to tug his arm back, to no avail. The skinny prince was deceptively strong. "Mammon gave it to me."

"Liiiiiiies. Liiiiiiiiies. The filthy peasant tells lies!"

"He did!" Fran insisted, panic rising as Bel started to crush his bones. "Right before he left, in the hallway! After you disappeared, he ripped off the Varia patch and--"

Bel's mouth twitched and flattened into taut, angry lines. "He. Didn't. Do. That," he denied, punctuating each word by stamping Fran's foot with a sharp heel. "He wouldn't, you poisonous, lying snake." _STAMP._

"Ow~ senpai. That really hurts," Fran flinched, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Please stop it, it's making me cry."

He threw a pleading look at Commander, who shrugged with a look that said, "Work it out yourself." (Long-haired idiot.)

"You stole it from him, you low-life thief, when he could have used it to fight back." Bel grinned humorlessly. "Shishishi. He never had a chance. You might as well have killed him yourself."

"It's not like I asked for it, or even wanted it. He forced me to take it and forced me into this spot. Ah, such a terrible person, leaving me such a mean senpai like you."

"I think he's telling the truth," Levi tried to pry Bel away.

Bel shook him off. "Mammon never gave anything to anybody, not for free. He was a greedy little thing. I know that better than anyone."

He gave a sudden twist and Fran grimaced in pain, hand opening and ring dropping from his grasp.

Bel caught it mid-air and slipped it snugly on his right ring finger, next to his own storm ring. "I'll be taking this, you fake mist," he drawled, daring Fran to disagree.

Fran hid his hands in the folds of his coat pockets. "Do whatever you want," he said, refusing to be baited. "It's not like you can use it. Besides, I don't want a promotion. It'll only make me a more visible target."

"The prince is never wrong. Told you he was a coward," Bel smirked in disdain, point proven.

"...you called Mammon that, too."

Bel froze momentarily, then pulled Fran close by the shirt so that he could hiss in Fran's ear, voice low, venomous, and brimming with barely contained rage. "Don't pretend you understand _anything_, you eavesdropping insect. It angers me greatly and I already dislike you."

Fran wisely did not talk back until Bel had released him, expression impassive as he straightened out his clothes. "I don't like you either, senpai. You call me a liar but you're really dishonest yourself. You regret telling Mammon to go kill himself because he actually did. And now you're unfairly taking out your guilt on me."

It took all three other Varia members present to hold Bel back while Fran scuttled off, legs shaking and courage spent.

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**To Be Continued.**

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Will be finished off as a trilogy: **Clear**** Skies Ahead**

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December 24, 2008


	3. Chapter 3

This took so long because the ending I had planned does not want to be written. Xanxus is an ass and doesn't care if his family falls to pieces. So this story continues until Bel and Fran somehow reach an understanding... damn, this is never going to end.

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**Chapter 3**

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"Commander Idiot, we've successfully taken over the Millefiore base in Florence."

"Good. Any casualties?"

"One near miss." Fran held out his coat by the tips of his fingers so that light filtered through the tattered garment. "Hit by 'friendly' fire as soon as I turned my attention to the enemy."

Squalo shrugged, unconcerned. "Bel tries to kill all of us from time to time. But we're still alive, aren't we?"

"Except for Mammon. Which is ironic because I bet he's the one person senpai never tried to kill."

"Vooiii, brat, that's where you're wrong. He's tried to kill Mammon plenty of times. Mammon's tentacle illusions were a result of Bel's constant attempts on his life. When he first came into the Varia, Mammon favored wrapping his enemies with barbed wire."

Fran could guess the rest. "But then Bel-senpai would go crazy at the sight of his own blood."

"Mammon came up with the tentacles to restrain Bel until he was subdued."

"Ah, I see." Fran looked pensive, then raised a hand. "So, Commander Idiot, you're saying that not only Lussuria and Levi-san, but that Bel-senpai and Mammon are - or were - also perverts? That's a little troubling, since I'm not into S&M."

Squalo slapped a hand to his face and let it stay there. "I can't tell whether you're being serious or just trying to be annoying. But as I see it, you have two choices. One, figure out how to deal with Bel. Or two, get killed by him."

"How about option three, I kill Bel-senpai," Fran counter-offered.

"Voooiiiii!!! There is no option three!!! And I'm taking away option two! Now go make peace before I kick both your scrawny asses for insubordination!!!!"

Fran sighed in resignation. "Yes, sir."

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"Bel-senpai? Are you in there, you anorexic mop of hair?" Fran called out, easing the door to Bel's room open with his foot. When no knives embedded themselves into the doorframe, Fran risked decapitation and poked his head in.

The gauzy canopy was pulled back on the four-poster bed, revealing rumpled but empty sheets. A quick scan around the room confirmed that the resident was out.

Fran shut the door, wondering where to search next. He had been passive-aggressive in his avoidance of Bel since their confrontation during his induction ceremony. He didn't know much about Bel's hobbies or where he vanished to in between missions. Frankly, he thought he was better off not knowing.

If Mammon was still alive, Fran guessed that would be where he would find Bel.

In a flash of inspiration, he turned to the room right across from Bel's.

The door opened without a squeak and Fran looked around with curiosity. It was his first time seeing Mammon's room. The old mist guardian had guarded his privacy jealously, shrouding himself in mystery, shunning command positions like Levi with his lightning squad, and keeping a distance from all the but core Varia members.

In contrast to Bel's lavishly decorated bedroom, this room was very plain and functional, with dark carpeting, basic white walls, and sparse furniture. It wasn't unheard of for an illusionist, who could change up the scenery with a touch of his mind.

Fran walked around, stirring up a layer of dust. If Bel had come in here, it hadn't been anytime recent. The exploration of the room turned up no significant memento, no dramatic insight into its former occupant's character, only neglect and emptiness. It was as if a ghost had lived there.

Fran didn't know why he felt so... let down.

Sneezing, he patted the dust off his clothing as best as he could and headed to the balcony for some fresh air.

He leaned against the railing, crossing his arms on the warm stone and resting his chin on them. As he stared blankly at the garden below, Bel sauntered into view.

"Ah, Bel--" Fran cut himself off as he noticed Bel's unusual appearance. He was out of uniform, but not in the striped shirt that he was fond of lounging around in. He wore an impeccable white suit, pressed pants, vest, and long, form-fitting jacket trimmed with gold, the ensemble dressed down by a dark scarf tied into a sloppy oversized bow around his neck.

Bel's hands were in his pockets, and tucked under one arm, was a giant bouquet of red roses. He disappeared into the wooded area south of the castle's border, leaving Fran puzzling over what he had just seen.

The idea of Bel going on a date was ludicrous and white wasn't very practical for assassination. Not that practicality would stop Bel from killing, but they had just returned from the siege in Florence. Even Bel's thirst for blood should be sated for a few more days.

Fran vaulted over the railing and landed lightly in the garden four stories below. Wrapping himself in illusion, he quickly headed in the same direction that Bel had gone.

Tailing wasn't difficult. Bel hadn't bothered covering his tracks, and his footprints were clear in the wet soil. They led Fran up to a clearing, where they abruptly disappeared.

"..."

Fran warily eyed the roses tossed on the ground like a baited trap, then raised his head to canvass the tree branches above. An aerial attack was most probable.

"Senpai? Are you here? I outgrew hide-and-seek in primary school."

He walked out into the open, still fully on guard. When nothing happened, he eased his way to the roses, noticing for the first time, the granite slab behind it.

Fran crouched down, resting his hands on his knees.

--

_ Rest in Pieces  
Mammon  
b. ??? - d. ???  
Killed by his own stupidity  
An infuriatingly stubborn bastard and_

--

Fran reached out to move the roses out of the way to read the rest. He felt the killing intent a split second before the shift in air. He leapt out of the way in time for the knives to shred through the roses and thunk into the tombstone.

"Shishishi. What's this? Annoying little flies buzzing around a decaying corpse?"

"Mammon isn't buried here. His body was never recovered."

Bel looked like he was about to argue, but simply shrugged. "No, it wasn't. But the Prince made a promise and princes always keep their promises."

Fran stepped aside, giving Bel full berth to retrieve his knives. Bel rested a hand on top of the stone.

"Ushishishishishishi~"

Bel raised his arms and started to sway.

"What are you doing, senpai?" Fran felt compelled to ask.

"Shishishi. You should be able to tell by looking. I'm performing the royal dance."

"Oh. I thought you might be having a seizure. I was prepared to get a shovel to make use of this fake grave."

"Shut up, peasant, before I rip you into so many pieces that there won't be enough left to scrape into an urn," Bel threatened pleasantly, continuing his strange ritual.

Fran took heed of the suggestion for about five seconds.

"Bel-senpai, I hope your father fired your ballroom instructor. The only thing even remotely princelike about you right now is your appearance. I can't tell if you're trying to honor or insult Mammon's memory."

"Mammon was a thousand times cuter than you," Bel remarked snidely. "And he was an uncute bastard."

"Ouch. That wounds me, senpai. If I apologize and say your dance is awesome, will you bring flowers to my grave?"

"No. I only did it to irritate Mammon, since he hated unnecessary extravagance. He would have complained that I should have just given him the money instead. Shishishi, that miserly penny-pinching midget."

The two of them stood in silence, the fake prince and the fake mist, sharing a transient truce over the fake grave marked with the alias of a person who had lived a life of illusion. There was something fitting about that.

"...muu."

Bel looked up sharply.

"Ah, don't mind me, senpai. I just felt like trying it out."

"Hmm..." Bel tilted his head and studied Fran, fanning and unfanning a set of knives.

"You don't resemble him in the least," he decided, tucking his knives away.

There was something in the way he said it that caught Fran's attention.

"Senpai, I didn't think it was possible that anyone would take you into their confidence, being that you're a mean, petty person who takes self-involvement to a whole new level... but did Mammon show you his true form?"

"The Prince is privileged to all sorts of secrets," Bel declared snobbishly and Fran rolled his eyes.

"I saw him," Fran offered. "The day he left, I caught a glimpse of him as a dark shadowy wizard. He radiated the same powerful aura as my master."

"Ushishishi. That wasn't him." Bel lazily stretched his arms and laced his fingers behind his head. "He just showed you an illusion of what he wanted you to see. Pretty pathetic of you to fall for it, as another mist."

"Then what was he, really?"

"Mammon was just Mammon, nothing else." Bel's tone was final, discouraging further discussion. "Now stop following me, pest, before I cut out your eyes and cram them up your nose. The Prince is through mingling with ill-mannered commoners like you."

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**To Be Continued**

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August 12, 2009


End file.
